


Falling Asleep on FaceTime

by wh33zy



Series: Of Tigers and Bunnies [12]
Category: Tiger & Bunny
Genre: Fluff and Humor, Gen, M/M, Post-Canon, Retirement
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-04-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:14:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23885818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wh33zy/pseuds/wh33zy
Summary: Barnaby and Kotetsu actually keep up communicating non-stop through the first six months of their retirement after Maverick. It's painfully obvious that they miss each other a lot.(Can be seen as them falling in love or whatever your heart desires)
Relationships: Barnaby "Bunny" Brooks Jr. & Kaburagi T. Kotetsu, Barnaby "Bunny" Brooks Jr./Kaburagi T. Kotetsu
Series: Of Tigers and Bunnies [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1332236
Comments: 4
Kudos: 51





	Falling Asleep on FaceTime

**Author's Note:**

> I always see fics about them just cutting off all contact with each other after they retire until they reunite again, but I like to think they kept up with each other through that year! You guys KNOW Kotetsu would either forget or just not tell Barnaby that he was returning to HEROTV.

“Are they dating?” Anju whispers to her eldest son. 

Muramasa only shrugs in response. 

She asks because she’s never seen Kotetsu so glued to his cellphone, talking to the same person (even though she’s not surprised about who it is): 

“Who’re you texting to so early in the morning?” 

“Oh, you know, just  _ Bunny.” _

It is now ten o’clock at night, and as far as Anju knows, Kotetsu hasn’t been far from his phone  _ all day.  _ Unbeknownst to her, when her son says his goodnight to everyone before heading off to his room, their conversation would continue. Not through text, but face to face- at least all of what their phones’ cameras can capture. 

“I see we had the same idea.” Barnaby says, lying on his back in his bed. 

Lying on his side and curled up in his blankets with the lights off, “Great minds think alike.” Kotetsu smiles, his phone propped up on a pillow on top of his futon. “Anyway, what’s that word we made up for when something would get stuck in our boots?” 

The blond looks up at the ceiling to think, brows furrowing when he still doesn’t come up with anything. “I can’t remember…” He sighs in defeat. “It was such a good way to describe it too.” 

“Aw, man! You forgot too?" 

“Why?” 

“I had something stuck in my shoe  _ all day.  _ I didn’t get a chance to see what it was until I got home from the liquor store. I was trying to describe it to my brother but I totally blanked on our word for it; was hoping you’d remember. And, uh, that’s...that’s what I did today.” He chuckles awkwardly. “I bet you’re a lot more productive than me these days.” 

“To be honest,” Green eyes look away for a second. “I haven’t. Besides for travelling once in a while and helping the orphanage, there really isn’t much I’ve been doing. I’m sleeping in, watching TV, surfing the internet without doing research...I feel  _ so  _ lazy.”

“Be lazy! You’re finally living a life where you get to do whatever  _ you  _ want.” 

“You’re right and _ it is _ nice, but I miss our everyday.” 

“Six months into retirement, and you  _ still  _ miss being on call?” 

“You miss it too.” Is huffed. 

Kotetsu sighs, “Got that right.” He shifts a little, pulling his comforter tighter around him. “Let’s see, what do we miss about it?”

“The office-” 

“Really?  _ The office?”  _

“Your turn.” 

“The fitness center. It was really nice! And we could talk to everyone.” 

“HeroTV,” 

“The high-speed chases!” 

“Catching criminals,” 

Kotetsu says a little more heartfelt, “Helping people...” 

“Yeah…” Barnaby sighs. Maybe it would have been better if they kept up ignoring this topic.

“At least you can go back whenever you want. You  _ know  _ Agnes is hoping you’ll reconsider-” 

“Not without you.” Is said firmly. “I said back then it wouldn’t make sense, and it still doesn’t.” 

“Look, I don’t want to hold you back from doing something you enjoy, that’s all.”

“Kotetsu, you’re the reason why I even started to like being a hero.”

“R...Really?” 

“To be honest,  _ you  _ are what I miss most about that life. Although I wasn’t doing it completely of my own volition, you made it worthwhile. For the first time in my life, I was having  _ fun.” _

Kotetsu presses his lips together and looks away, his cheeks already flaring. “You know, I...If my powers magically stopped declining, I’d sign  _ anything  _ if it meant I could do it all over again with you.” When his eyes look back at Barnaby’s, “Oh, Bunny, don’t look so sad! You’ll make  _ me  _ sad!” 

“...I wish there was  _ something  _ I could do about your powers.” 

“I know! You tell me this  _ all the time.” _

“It’s just...If I had known about them earlier, maybe I wouldn’t have taken getting to see you everyday for granted. I regret-” 

_ “Come on,  _ when we parted ways, we promised no regrets.” 

“But-” 

“But nothin’! No regrets.” Barnaby closes his mouth and shifts onto his side, still looking troubled at the screen. “We can’t change what happened, we can’t start over. And if we could go back in time, what if that whole butterfly effect thingy happened where we wouldn’t even be talking right now, hm?” 

“I guess you’re right…” 

“I like how we are now. We’re best friends!” Kotetsu’s pleased when this makes Barnaby’s face breaks into a smile. “I wouldn’t wanna risk changing that!” 

_ “Of course.”  _ Is agreed. “Since you’re my best friend, are you ever going to visit me?” 

“Well, actually…” Kotetsu awkwardly smiles and slides a finger out from the covers to scratch his cheek. “Kaede wanted us to surprise you with a visit next week and have some fun downtown, but I wasn’t sure if you were busy, you’re also not a big fan of surprises, a-and I did wanna bother you or anything so…!” 

“That’s surprising coming from  _ you.”  _

“What?” 

“Bothering me is one of your  _ favorite  _ hobbies-” 

“Shuddup! You know what I mean!” 

“I’m free all next week, so please come and bother me.” He’s been pretty lonely as of late. “I’ll make fried rice for you since I didn’t get a chance to-”

“Consider the train tickets  _ bought!”  _

“You’d seriously travel four to five hours just for some fried rice?” 

“If it’s made by  _ you,  _ I’d take a plane!” His heart soars when he hears Barnaby’s laughter. “I’m a simple old man, Bunny.” 

“A simple  _ old  _ man, indeed.” 

Kotetsu narrows his eyes at him. “You’re lucky that I like fried rice, slick.” 

“Am I now?” 

“You bet.”

Two hours later, Kaede was getting her things in order to go hang out with her friends tomorrow to make sure she didn’t forget anything, but couldn’t find her purse. After tip-toeing around the sleeping house in search of it, she came across her father’s bedroom- where she remembered that he wanted to give her some cash. She softly rasps her knuckles against the door a couple times, but no answer. 

“Hey, dad?” The girl whispers, slowly opening the door. Then she squeaks, “Barnaby!” Before clamping a hand over her mouth and holding her breath, waiting for her father to stir. 

Kotetsu was in deep sleep, face still in front of the screen of his phone where he had been video chatting with Barnaby, who was also asleep with his lights still on. Had they been talking all this time and just _...fallen asleep? _ How does that even happen? Who falls asleep while talking to someone? She’d expect it out of her father, but not out of her  _ idol.  _

They must  _ really  _ miss each other...

Kaede spots her yellow bag by his feet on the futon he curled himself up in. Should she do him the favor (and save him some embarrassment of hanging up his phone and turning it off before it dies? 

_Nah._ She didn't want to risk waking either of them up and having Barnaby see her in her pajamas. 

And it's kinda funny anyways. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
